The Science of Race

The basis of Pilar Osssrio’s statement “there’s as much or more diversity and genetic difference within any racial group as there is between people of different racial groups” is derived from years of studies and research, as well as their findings that there is not much genetic variation between two different racial groups. Researchers do not actually find any genetic differences between multiple racial groups. In fact, humans differ in one nucleotide out of one thousand in DNA structure. Penguins differ twice as much within its own species than humans, and fruit flies differ ten times as much.  Fruit flies differ in DNA within their own species the same way that chimpanzees differ from human beings. We often identify one’s racial background based off physical features such as eye color, hair texture, skin color, eye shape, and even height. At a microscopic level, there are no genes that make up for the combinations of physical features we determine race from. For that reason, genes cannot identify race. Race appears to be more of a social concept rather than a biological one.

 My racial and cultural background fall in both Salvadorian and Spanish origins. I myself, however, do not identify with either race. I am not completely certain why I do not, but I will try to explain it as best as I can. I grew up as a first generation “American kid” in South San Francisco, California, so I mostly adopted American cultures and traditions. My mother, for the most part, did not teach or show me about racial structure or racial identification. I am the youngest of five children, however, all my siblings are significantly older than I am. I did not grow up around them, for they were already living elsewhere by my adolescence. Because I ruled out both family and biological influence for my racial identification, the only factor that remains is my environment. For the early years of my youth, I grew up in a predominantly Latino neighborhood, and even went to a middle school with the majority of the demographic population being Latino and African-American students. Before I entered high school, I moved to a predominantly White neighborhood, and went to a high school with the majority of the demographic population being White and Asian students. My closest friends were always colorful throughout the years, as I never surrounded myself with any one particular racial group. I never adopted any racial identification, not even that of my own race, for I found myself being around all sorts of people who would influence me no more than the next.

 Pilar Ossorio’s statement does not really affect my racial identity, or how I perceive it. I do not believe anything can affect that. I enjoy the fact that I am—figuratively—colorblind. I mean that in the sense that I do not ignore the different races of people, but I instead choose to overlook such a fact when I interact with others. If ever a moment arises in which I am required to take into consider a person's race, as well as their surroundings in order to avoid causing discomfort in said person, then I will do so. That being said, I thankfully learned to select my friends and companions based off values of character, ethics, and genuineness. I do not find any importance in physical features that in no way define any person, or any group of people. I value not how dark or light one's skin may be, but how warm and righteous one's mind and heart are. This is the closest I come to racial identification.

Despite the fact that race has no biological basis, it is still a crucial part of identifying other people, which is used to place them into these categories for social and political purposes. I believe race still exists because there are people--or groups of people--who continue to benefit from categorizing people. For example, groups who have a greater racial privilege tend to either ignore racism and racial issues, have never experienced it themselves, or are responsible for its existence, period. Race still exists because many people continue to give it more value than it deserves; race is given the value it needs to allow racial privilege, or racial discrimination to exist. So long as there is even a few people who truly believe that one racial group is inferior/superior to another racial group, race will continue to not only exist, but falsely appear to be an important factor in life necessary to succeed.